Killdeer eggs

miki911 · Joined: 18 Jul 2008 Posts: 147

My family is working on our backyard. The other day someone in my family noticed some eggs. There was no nest, just a dent in the ground. There are four eggs. We are putting topsoil in our yard. We need some dirt where the eggs are. Should we wait until the birds hatched and have flown away to put topsoil? Or should we just not do it where the eggs are? I don't want to frighten the parents away.

Drmchaser · Joined: 23 May 2007 Posts: 2372

You need to put flags or cones or some other marker around the eggs - nothing that will prevent the parents from getting to the eggs.

It is illegal to tamper with an active nest - even if the "nest" is just a piece of ground, or some mulch.

In the US, all native migratory birds are protected under federal law (Migratory Bird Treaty Act). It is illegal for anyone to possess a protected bird, its nest, its eggs or even its feathers unless they have the required federal and state licenses. It is also illegal to disturb an active nest. Penalties for violating this law include fines of up to $500 and/or up to 6 months in jail for each offense.

Here is a website with info on dealing with killdeer nests: http://www.birdwatching.com/stories/kill…